Hand rehab is often considered one of the hardest and slowest journeys for a stroke survivor. Your hands are farthest from the midline of your body, and the smaller muscles are more prone to fatigue after minimal effort.
However, there is still a lot of hope for regaining your hand motor skills after a stroke with a thorough and consistent hand rehabilitation program.
The methods below can play a great role to bolster your hand movements:
- Making a Fist: Simple but and effective hand rehab exercise effective with consistency, start with your hand in a stretched position, then make a fist, hold for 30 seconds then release.
2. Finger Stretch- Start with your hand on a flat surface, gradually straightening your fingers. Hold this position for about a minute. Take a little break then repeat.
3. Claw Stretch- With your palm facing out, move your fingers into a claw-like position for 30-60 seconds.
4. Finger Lift- For flexibility improvement, place your hand flat on the table, then slowly lift each finger separately. Repeat this exercise about 8-12 times for each hand.
5. Thumb Touch- Make your hand in an upright position, then stretch each of your fingers until it reaches your thumb
6. Pinch Strengthening- Pinch a soft foam ball between the tip of one of your fingers and your thumb. Do this for about one minute, repeating it about 10-15 times.
7. Grip Strengthening- Squeeze a grip-strengthening ball as tightly as possible 10-15 times with each hand.
8. Thumb Extension- Move your thumb from its normal position to the center of the palm and back.
9. Use the Portable Rehab Gloves: Vrehab-M2 for passive and active hands and fingers training. The rehabilitation gloves can be used anywhere with their pocket-size design, works for hand flexion and extension training, mirror therapy, and more.